Philippines

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Etymology

History

Prehistory

Archeological, and paleontological discoveries show that humans existed in Palawan around 30,000 to 50,000 BC. An aboriginal people of the Philippine Islands known as the Negritos, are a Melanesian ethnic group who arrived in the Philippines at least 30,000 years ago. Another ethnic group, known as the Austronesian or Malayo-Polynesian people, originated from the populations of Taiwanese aborigines who migrated from mainland Asia approximately 6,000 years ago. This ethnic group settled in the Philippines, and soon after, migrated to Indonesia, Malaysia, the Polynesian Islands, and Madagascar.<ref>Origins of the Filipinos and their Languages</ref>

The indigenous people of the Philippines traded with other Asian countries during the Prehistoric period. Before the arrival of Islam; Animism syncretized with Hinduism, and Vajrayna Buddhism.<ref>The Philippines and India - Dhirendra Nath Roy, Manila 1929 and India and The World - By Buddha Prakash p. 119-120.</ref><ref>Artifacts of Hindu-Buddhist origin in the Philippines</ref> Those were the religions practiced by various Philippine indigenous kingdoms.

Spanish rule brought political unification to a group of islands and communities that later became the Philippines, and introduced elements of western civilisation.<ref>Joaquin, Nick. 1988. Culture and History: Occasional Notes on the Process of Philippine Becoming. Solar Publishing, Metro Manila</ref> The Philippines was governed as a territory of the Viceroyalty of New Spain from 1565 to 1821, and administered directly from Spain from 1821 to 1898. During that period, towns, cities, and provinces were founded, and trade flourished. The Manila Galleon which linked Manila to Acapulco carried spices, porcelain and silk to the Americas, and silver from Mexico on the return voyage to the Philippines. Spain fought indigenous rebels, pirates, and invasions from European powers such as Portugal, Britain, and Netherlands. Roman Catholic missionaries converted most of the inhabitants to Christianity and founded schools, hospitals and universities. European immigration to the Philippines created a new class of Criollo (Spaniard born in the Philippines), and Mestizo (mixed Spaniard, and Malayan). In 1863 the colonial government established free public education in Spanish.<ref>US Country Studies: Education in the Philippines</ref> The first official census in the Philippines was carried out in 1878. The country's population as of December 31, 1877 was recorded at 5,567,685 persons.<ref>Population of the Philippines Census Years 1799 to 2007. National Statistical Coordination Board.</ref>

In the 1700s, the Philippines opened its forts to world trade. The economy increased, and many criollos, and mestizos in the Philippines became wealthy. In the 1800s, the Suez Canal was opened, dramatically reducing travel time between Spain and the Philippines. The influx of Spaniards secularized churches, and government positions traditionally held by the criollos. The ideals of revolution began to spread to the Philippines in the second half of the century. Criollo insurgency resulted in the Novales, and the revolt in Cavite El Viejo in 1872. Colonial authorities suppressed these uprisings which were led by three priests: Mariano Gómez, José Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora who would be remembered in Philippine history as the Gomburza. The execution of these priests laid the foundation for the Philippine Revolution.<ref>Joaquin, Nick. A Question of Heroes.</ref>

Facsimile of the map found aboard the "Na SA de Covadonga" after it was taken by Commodore Anson in 1743, showing the route of the Manila-Acapulco galleon through the maze of the Philippines Islands.

The migration of Filipinos to Europe created a community of expatriates. The propaganda movement, which included Filipino patriot José Rizal, was founded in Spain. The propagandists clamored for political reforms, which included representation in the Spanish Cortes for Filipinos. The propagandists lobbied for their causes through the paper La Solidaridad (The Solidarity). They were able to gain some support from Spanish liberals. Unable to gain complete reforms, Rizal returned to the Philippines, and established La Liga Filipina (The Philippine League) to organize patriots in Manila and produce funds for La Solidaridad. Rizal was soon arrested and deported to Dapitan. Radical members of La Liga Filipina, under the leadership of Andrés Bonifacio, established the Katipunan in 1896. The objective was Philippine independence from Spain.

The Spanish-American War began in Cuba in 1898, and soon spread to the Philippines when Commodore George Dewey and Emilio Aguinaldo defeated the Spanish squadron at the Battle of Manila Bay. The Philippines declared independence from Spain on June 12, 1898. In 1899, the Primera República Filipina or the First Philippine Republic was proclaimed in Malolos, Bulacan. In the Treaty of Paris, Spain ceded the Philippines, together with Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Guam to the United States. As a result of the treaty, and a manifesto by the United States declaring American intentions to colonize the Philippines, a conflict began between the Filipinos, and the Americans. Aguinaldo tried to ease the tensions, but the Americans were determined to make the Philippines a United States colony.

The Philippine-American War began when an American soldier killed a Filipino soldier at the bridge of San Juan. The United States proclaimed the war ended when Aguinaldo was captured by American soldiers on March 23, 1901. However, the struggle continued until 1913 claiming almost a million lives. The United States suppressed Philippine independence by establishing an American government. The Philippines' status as a colony changed when it became the Commonwealth of the Philippines in 1935. Plans for independence over the next decade were interrupted by World War II when Japan invaded the Philippines. United States, and Philippine troops defeated Japan in 1944. On July 4, 1946, the Philippines gained independence from the United States. <ref name=CIAfactbook>World Factbook — Philippines, CIA. Retrieved on 2008-07-24</ref>

Contemporary era

Former President of the Philippines, Manuel L. Quezon, during his inauguration in the American period.

The Philippines faced political instability that plagued the country. Since 1946, remnants of the Hukbalahap rebel army continued to roam the rural regions of the Philippines, disgruntled after the Philippine government had rejected their contribution during World War II.

The 1960s were a period of economic growth for the Philippines which developed to be one of the wealthiest in Asia. Ferdinand Marcos was elected president. Barred from seeking a third term, he declared Martial law on September 21, 1972, under the guise of political conflict, and resurgent Communist, and Islamic insurgencies, and governed the Philippines by decree, along with his wife Imelda Marcos.

Returning from exile in the United States, Philippine opposition leader Benigno Aquino, Jr., was assassinated at the Manila International Airport (also called the Ninoy Aquino International Airport) on August 21, 1983. In 1986, the People Power Revolution occurred. The people gathered, and protested in EDSA, upon the organization of the Archbishop of Manila founded by Priest Jaime Cardinal Sin. It was to oppose the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos. After losing the election to Corazón Aquino, who became the first female President of the Philippines (and the first in Asia), Marcos, and his allies departed to Hawaii in exile.

The Philippines are divided into three island groups: Luzon (Regions I to V, NCR and CAR), Visayas (VI to VIII), and Mindanao (IX to XIII and ARMM). The busy port of Manila, on Luzon, is the capital city of the Philippines, and the second largest city after Quezon City.<ref name="About"/>

Natural resources

The Philippines provides a high environment of natural resources in areas such as agriculture, nature, and minerals. It has fertile lands, diverse flora and fauna, extensive coastlines, and rich mineral deposits.<ref name="etravel">E-Travel Pilipinas: The Philippine Natural Resources. Accessed January 22, 2009.</ref>

The Philippine territorial waters measure as much as 1.67 million square kilometers, producing a unique, and diverse marine life. Of the 2,400 fish species found in the Philippines, 65 have good commercial value. Other marine products include corals, pearls, crabs, and seaweeds.<ref name="etravel"/><ref name="resources">About the Philippines. Accessed January 22, 2009.</ref> The rain forests offer prime habitat for more than 530 species of birds, including the Philippine eagle, some 800 species of orchids, and some 8,500 species of flowering plants.<ref name="biodiverse">Biodiversity Hotspots: Philippines. Accessed January 22, 2009.</ref>

Climate

The Philippines has a tropical marine climate, and is usually hot, humid, and tropical. The average yearly temperature is around 26.5°C (79.7°F). There are three recognized seasons: "Tag-init" or "Tag-araw" (the hot season or summer from March to May), "Tag-ulan" (the rainy season from June to November), and "Tag-lamig" (the cold season from December to February). The southwest monsoon (from May to October) is known as the "Habagat", and the dry winds of the northeast monsoon (from November to April) as the "Amihan".<ref>PAGASA: Climate</ref> The coolest month is January, and the warmest is May. Both temperature, and humidity levels reach the maximum in April and May.<ref name="About"/> Manila, and most of the lowland areas are hot, and dusty from March to May.<ref>Lonely Planet: Weather in the Philippines. Accessed January 23, 2009.</ref> Even at this time, however, temperatures rarely rise above 37°C. Mean annual sea-level temperatures rarely fall below 27°C. Annual rainfall measures as much as 5,000 millimeters in the mountainous east coast section of the Philippines, but less than 1,000 millimeters in some of the sheltered valleys. Sitting astride the typhoon belt, most of the Philippines experiences annual torrential rains, and thunderstorms from July to October.<ref>Photius: The Philippine Climate</ref>

The Philippine economy were largely anchored on the Manila-Acapulco galleon during the Spanish period, and bilateral trade with the United States during the American period. Pro-Filipino economic policies were first implemented during the tenure of Carlos P. Garcia with the "Filipino First" policy. By the 1960s, the Philippine economy was regarded as the second largest in Asia, next to Japan. However, the leardership of Ferdinand Marcos would prove disastrous to the Philippine economy, by transforming the market economy of the Philippines into a centrally planned economy. The Philippines suffered severe economic recession, only to recover in the 1990s with a program of economic liberalization, and the impeachment of the Marcos government, and the system of cronyism under the leadership of Fidel V. Ramos. Today, the Philippines have produced a mixed economy.<ref name="lastlaugh" />

In a bid to further strengthen the Philippine economy, Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo pledged to make the Philippines a developed country by 2020. As part of this goal, she instituted five economic "super regions" to concentrate on the economic strengths of various regions of the Philippines, as well as the implementation of tax reforms, continued privatization of state assets, and the building-up of infrastructure in various areas of the Philippines.

The Philippine economy is heavily reliant on remittances as a source of foreign currency, surpassing foreign direct investment. China, and India have emerged as a major economic competitors, siphoning away investors who would otherwise have invested in the Philippines, particularly telecommunications companies. Regional development is also somewhat uneven, with Luzon, and Metro Manila in particular gaining most of the new economic growth at the expense of the other regions,<ref name="econ-manila">Beyond Imperial Manila, Manila Standard Today, accessed July 25, 2006</ref> although the government has taken steps to distribute economic growth by promoting investment in other areas of the Philippines.

Demographics

The Philippines is the world's 12th most populous country, with a population of over 90 million as of 2008.<ref name=population /><ref name=IMF2006 /> In 2007, 8% of Filipinos are living abroad as migrant laborers. An estimated figure of half of the Philippine population resides on the island of Luzon. Manila, the capital city, is the eleventh most populous metropolitan area in the world. The literacy rate were 92.6% in 2003,<ref>Human Development Indicators (PDF). United Nations Development Programme. Archived from the original on 2007-07-02. Retrieved on 2008-01-09.</ref><ref name=factbookRPpeople>The Philippines: People, CIA World Factbook. Retrieved on 2008-01-09</ref> and about equal for males, and females.<ref name=CIAfactbook /> Life expectancy is 71.23 years, with 73.6 years for females and 69.8 years for males. Population growth rate between 1995 to 2000 is 3.21% but has decreased to 1.59% for 2005 to 2010.

Approximately 5% of Filipinos are Muslims.<ref name=2006census/> They settled in parts of Mindanao, Palawan, and the Sulu archipelago, but are now found in most urban areas of the Philippines. Most lowland Muslim Filipinos practice Islam, although the practices of some Mindanao's highland Muslim populations reflect a mixture with Animism. There are also a number of minority religious groups such as Buddhists, Bahá'í, Hindus, Sikhs, and animists. Along with other non-Christians, non-Muslims, and those with no religion, they collectively comprise 2% of the population.<ref name=factbookRPpeople/>

Classes in Philippine schools start in June, and end in March. The majority of colleges, and universities follow the semestral calendar from June to October, and November to March. There are a number of foreign schools with study programs.<ref name="About"/>

Education in the Philippines has evolved in several stage of development from the colonial period to the present. In meeting the needs of the Philippine society, education serves as an important part of the leadership at certain educational programs.

Infrastructure

Transportation

In spite of the mountainous terrain, approximately 14 percent of the 158,810 kilometers (98,110 miles) of roads in the Philippines are paved.<ref name="transpo">Asian Info: The Philippine Transportation System. Accessed January 22, 2009.</ref> Buses, jeepneys, taxis, and motorcycles are available when getting around the major cities, and towns. In 2007, there are about 5.53 million registered motor vehicles in the Philippines, and an average annual registration rate of 4.55%.<ref>Land Transportation Office: Number of Motor Vehicles Registered. Accessed January 22, 2009.</ref>

Seaports can be found throughout the Philippine Islands. The busiest seaports are Manila, Cebu, Iloilo, Davao, Cagayan de Oro, and Zamboanga, which are parts of the 3,219 kilometer of waterways, and seaports.<ref name=CIAfactbook /><ref name="transpo"/> Inter-island passenger ships and other sea vessels such as Superferry, Negros Navigation, and Sulpicio Lines serves Manila, with links to various cities, and towns. In 2003, the 919-kilometer Strong Republic Nautical Highway (SRNH) was established, and this is an integrated set of highway segments, and ferry routes covering 17 cities all over the Philippines.<ref>Macapagal Official website: Strong Republic Nautical Highway. Accessed January 22, 2009.</ref>

There is an estimated 41 million cellular phone users in the Philippine Islands, the reason that the Philippines has been named as the "Texting Capital of the World",<ref name="txt">Cell phones double as electronic wallets in Philippines. Teves, Oliver. USA Today. September 29, 2007.</ref> and the ownership rate is increasing.<ref name="pldt"/> Text messaging have fostered a culture of quick greetings, and forwarded jokes among the Filipinos. Out of these growing number of avid texters, 5.5 million of them use their cellular phones as virtual wallets, making the Philippines a leader among developing nations in providing financial transactions over cellular networks.<ref name="txt"/> In 2007, The Philippines sent an average of 1 billion SMS messages per day.<ref>Filipinos sent 1 billion text messages daily in 2007. Francisco, Rosemarie. The Philippine Daily Inquirer. March 03, 2008.</ref>

Radio, television, and internet is used frequently in the Philippines. There are approximately 381 AM, and 628 FM stations, and 250 national, and 1,501 cable TV stations broadcasting throughout the Philippines.<ref name=CIAfactbook /> The Philippines has 14 million Internet users, 16% of the total population, being served by almost 100 Internet providers.<ref>Internetworld Stats. Accessed January 22, 2009.</ref>

Philippine tradition exhibits festivities known as Barriofiestas (district festivals) to commemorate their patron saints. One of the most visible Hispanic legacies is the prevalence of Spanish surnames, and names among Filipinos. This peculiarity, unique among the people of Asia, came as a result of a colonial decree, the Clavería edict, for the systematic distribution of family names, and implementation of the Spanish naming system on the inhabitants of the Philippine Islands. A Spanish name, and surname among the majority of Filipinos does not always denote Spanish ancestry.

Islamic instruments of gongs, and a drum that make up the Philippine kulintang ensemble, an example of pre-Hispanic musical tradition.

The majority of street names, towns, and provinces are in Spanish. Spanish architecture made a significant imprint in the Philippine Islands. This can be seen in the country's churches, government buildings, and universities. Many Hispanic houses, and buildings are preserved, like the towns in Vigan, and among others. The kalesas, horse-driven carriages, were a mode of transportation during the Spanish period. They are still being used today.

Filipinos traditionally eat three main meals a day. This include agahan(breakfast), tanghalían(lunch), and hapúnan(dinner), plus an afternoon snack called meriénda (another variant is minandál or minindál). Dishes range from a simple meal of seafoods, pork, vegetable, and rice, to paellas, and cocidos. Popular dishes include lechón, chorizo, tapa, adobo, kalderetakare-kare, crispy pata, sinigang, pancit, and lumpia.

Today, Philippine cuisine continues to evolve in techniques, and styles of cooking dishes, in both traditional Filipino, and modern cuisines. Fast food is also popular.
American chef, and television personality Anthony Bourdain has hailed Filipino pork cuisine, and named the country at the top of his "Hierarchy of Pork".<ref>Anthony Bourdain (2009-02-16). Hierarchy of Pork. Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations. Travel Channel. Retrieved on 2009-02-17.</ref>